


that darn cat

by lazyfish



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: A Troublesome Feline, Multi, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22074013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazyfish/pseuds/lazyfish
Summary: The cat keeps getting in Bobbi’s way, and she wants Jemma to do something about it.
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 10
Kudos: 23
Collections: Marvel Polyship Bingo 2020





	that darn cat

“Jemma!”

Oh dear. It sounded like she was in trouble. Jemma hit the save button on the document she was working on before poking her head out of her office, looking for Bobbi. Her wife was at the end of the hall, hands on her hips and looking thunderous. 

“Yes, darling?”

“Can you please keep your damn cat in your office?” Bobbi snapped. “He keeps trying to trip me!”

“I don’t think he’s trying to trip you, dear,” Jemma said, padding down the hall. She stood on the tips of her toes to kiss Bobbi’s nose gently. Bobbi’s face softened somewhat, but she still looked stony. “William just thinks he’s being affectionate.” This was the first time Bobbi had ever complained about their rescue cat being afoot, even though he had been adopted three years ago.

“Well I can’t _see_ him anymore!” Bobbi growled. She put a hand on her belly, almost reflexively. She was getting rather big, Jemma thought, covering her wife’s hand with her own. The sight obstruction, along with Bobbi’s shifting center of gravity, would make a cat winding around her ankles a touch more of a problem than it normally would be.

“I’ll find him and put him in the office,” Jemma promised. 

“While you’re at it can you find your husband? I was promised food but he’s disappeared.”

Jemma nodded, thankful that she knew which husband Bobbi was talking about. When Bobbi was cranky (as she often was these days - Jemma hated to say it, but the stress of pregnancy and accompanying rush of hormones weren’t kind to her wife) Hunter was Jemma’s husband alone. Most of the time Fitz didn’t rile her up enough that Bobbi would disown him. Hunter, on the other hand, seemed to be able to press Bobbi’s buttons just by breathing wrong. Jemma had a whole theory about the difference between the way Bobbi treated Hunter and Fitz, but that was neither here nor there.

“Why don’t you find us a movie to watch over lunch?” Jemma suggested. In her ideal world she’d be able to drop her work and spend the rest of the day soothing her agitated wife, but that wasn’t possible - not with Bobbi eight months pregnant and maternity leave looming on the horizon. She could spare an extra half-hour at lunch, though, and Bobbi obviously needed it.

“You’re just trying to get me on the couch,” Bobbi muttered darkly. Jemma forced her expression to stay neutral, knowing a comment about swollen ankles wouldn’t do her any favors.

“Would you rather I try to get you into bed?” Jemma stroked her thumb along the back of Bobbi’s hand, smiling teasingly. “Because that can be arranged.”

Bobbi huffed. “I am never having sex again.”

“I can’t get you pregnant,” Jemma whined. “You can have sex with me.”

“I’ll consider it _after_ the devil spawn has exited my body. Maybe.”

Jemma flinched. On bad days Bobbi had called their child _the spawn_ before, but never devil spawn. Maybe Jemma was missing something. “Bobbi,” she whispered, reaching her free hand to cup her wife’s cheek. “Are you okay?”

With her hand on Bobbi’s stomach Jemma could feel the shudder in her inhale. “I want this baby out, Jem,” she whimpered. “I want to feel like myself again and I want to be able to walk down the hall and not trip over that darn cat and I want to be in the same room as my husband without his existence pissing me off and I want -” her words broke off in a strangled sob, and Jemma pulled Bobbi into the best hug she could manage with her wife’s belly in the way.

“I’m sorry this is hard for you,” Jemma murmured, rubbing soothing circles into her wife’s back. “And I’m sorry that I can’t help.” That was the worst part of it - Jemma couldn’t do anything except damage control. She couldn’t keep Bobbi’s back from hurting, just give her wife massages. She couldn’t keep a smell from randomly triggering Bobbi’s nausea, just hold her hair back when she was sick. Jemma couldn’t make anything better, but she could hold her wife while she cried.

“It _sucks_ ,” Bobbi sobbed. “And I hate it!”

“I know.” Jemma ran her fingers through Bobbi’s hair. “I know, darling, I know.”

Footsteps creaked at the other end of the hallway, and Bobbi pulled back, looking over Jemma’s shoulder to see who it was.

“Bob?” Hunter’s voice was worried, and Jemma couldn’t say she blamed him. Bobbi didn’t cry - and surprisingly, pregnancy made her even less prone to crying than before.

“We’re taking our lunch in the den, Hunter,” Jemma informed him, marching past him and into their den space. Bobbi followed, Hunter trailing behind, still holding the plate with Bobbi’s food.

“Sit.” Jemma pointed to the sofa and Bobbi didn’t protest sitting - just held out her arms in a clear plea to join her. Jemma indulged her happily. “Hunter, set her lunch down and go find Fitz, would you?”

Hunter shot Bobbi a concerned look but did as he was told, disappearing to the second level where Fitz’s office was located. He and Jemma had tried sharing a home office, but that had been a non-starter - there were too many non-work related conversations and activities. (Read: Jemma had spent too much time fucking Fitz and not nearly enough time on her actual work.)

Bobbi curled in closer to Jemma, resting her head on Jemma’s shoulder. “You don’t have to do this,” she protested. “I’m fine. Just having a bad day.”

“Nonsense,” Jemma responded, brushing her thumb under Bobbi’s eye to catch another stray tear. “You need us the most when you’re having a bad day. That’s what love is about.” But of course Bobbi wouldn’t like being coddled. She rarely let anyone take care of her, and when she did let one of her partners fuss over her, it was normally Hunter. Jemma quite enjoyed this, though - being able to protect Bobbi and make her feel better. She liked the way Bobbi leaned into her, like Jemma was the place she was safe. It all felt… warm.

“I love you more each and every day, Jemma Simmons.” Bobbi tipped her chin back, inviting Jemma in for a kiss. Jemma pressed their lips together obligingly. “You’re going to be a great mom,” Bobbi whispered against Jemma’s lips.

“So are you.” Bobbi was fierce in the protection of the ones she loved, and Jemma knew their baby would be no different. Baby bird was going to have four parents willing to go to the ends of the earth and beyond to protect them, and Jemma knew that was much, much more than most children got.

Hunter returned to the den with Fitz in tow. The latter happily snuggled up on Bobbi’s other side, evidently not caring about the circumstances - just cuddling. Hunter, on the other hand, stayed standing.

“Anything else you need?” he asked.

“Are you not going to stay?” Jemma blinked at him. It wasn’t like Hunter to run away when one of his partners was hurting.

“Nah.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders hunching forward slightly. “I’ll do more good getting out of your hair.”

Jemma’s heart nearly broke in two. She knew Bobbi and Hunter hadn’t been getting along since the pregnancy, but it must’ve been worse than she thought if Hunter really thought it would be better to leave Bobbi (who was still crying, albeit less violently than before) than to stay. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that there was no place he could do more good than right here with them… but ultimately it wasn’t Jemma’s decision.

She looked to Bobbi, and was entirely unprepared for what she saw. Bobbi’s face had crumpled into something almost unrecognizable, and her lower lip was trembling violently.

“Lance…” Bobbi whispered. “I need you.”

“If you’re -”

“Please just come here.”

Hunter obeyed, settling in front of Bobbi. One of her hands, the one not holding Fitz’s, began playing with Hunter’s hair. It was getting longer now - he’d need a haircut before the baby came. Fitz would, too, Jemma suspected.

“They’re moving,” Bobbi said quietly, distracting Jemma from her thoughts. “Fitz, feel.” She moved their joined hands to the swell of her belly, and Fitz’s face lit up when he felt the baby stir.

“Still can’t believe it,” Fitz said to no one in particular. Jemma quite agreed - there was nothing in the world quite like feeling the movement under her palm when Bobbi announced the baby was kicking. It made everything feel real.

“This is Daddy,” Bobbi informed her stomach. “Mummy was touching you earlier. Papa wants to but he’s afraid.”

“Am not.” Hunter leaned his head back into Bobbi’s hand. “You told me not to and I’m respecting your boundaries.”

“That was four months ago,” Bobbi huffed. “The cat has touched my stomach more than you have.”

“Well I’m not going to _assume -_ ”

“It’s not assuming when I’m telling you right now you can, idiot.” Bobbi sighed fondly as she tugged on Hunter’s hair again. “Come on. Baby needs their papa.”

Hunter hesitated, and Bobbi had to physically place his hand on her stomach. Jemma joined them, tangling her fingers with Hunter’s and Fitz’s while their child moved. Bobbi gently guided them as the baby rolled and kicked in different locations. After a while the kicks seemed to peter out, and the spell that had kept them in rapt silence was lifted.

“Thank you,” Bobbi said after a long moment where none of them spoke. “For being here.”

“I think I speak for all of us when I say there’s no place we’d rather be.” Fitz pressed his nose into the joint of Bobbi’s chin and neck. “We love you.”

“And I love you all.”

“Even the cat?” Jemma asked cheekily.

Bobbi smiled. “Yes, even the cat.”


End file.
